Ori Aye, the well that sees into the future, is a top destination for visitors to Ondo town in Ondo State. The essence of this mysterious well and its historical significance to the Ondos is captured in this beautiful piece
The concept of destiny runs through the cosmology of most, if not all, African societies. The Yorubas call it Ayanmo or Kadara, the Igbos call it Akara Aka while the Hausas call it Bayewa Allah. In the past, parents would consult seers just to get a wind of what the future held for their children. This finding was known as Akosejaye among the Yorubas.A peep into the future of a child, they believed, offered them an early opportunity of effecting change where there was a negative prediction. The enquiry was made within the first ten days of a child’s birth and strictly by its biological parents. This was mainly to keep the prediction secret until the child himself became of age and needed to know what his future held. For the Ondos, this exercise was conducted in a different manner.
According to Chief Adedeji Fakoya, the Odogun of Ondo land, the child in question is the actual enquirer, and he is expected to have come of age before taking a peep into his future – at no other place than the Ori Aye (the peak or crown of the earth). Ori Aye is a natural phenomenon that is as old as Ondo town itself. It is a sacred well that is capable of seeing into the future of anyone who desires the knowledge.Chief Fakoya says of the sacred well, “the well is not just an ordinary one as it links with the high seas.
“ Ori Aye’s depth is endless but the water is as clear as crystal.” And quite unlike what obtains in other cultures, Odogun Fakoya informs, “anyone who wished to determine his future did so flamboyantly. It was never done in secret. He or she was expected to go with a number of his friends, loved ones and some drummers who would celebrate with him once the prediction was favourable. And once he got to the well, he would simply peep into it and a vivid picture of how he would end up in life would in-stantly be played to him.
“If the prediction was contrary, the drummers with their entourage, automatically stopped celebrating, an indication that the outcome was negative. The victim, now downcast, would leave the scene amidst tears and agony. He or she was left with no other option than to await the fulfilment of the well’s verdict.” However, not all enquirers who got undesirable verdicts took Ori Aye’s predictions in good faith.
There were instances where some who were not strong enough to bear such evil verdicts instantly took their lives by simply jumping into the well. It therefore became necessary, at a point, to stop people from visiting the mysterious well. Apart from the frequency with which disenchanted enquirers jumped into the well, an incident took place that was the last straw for custodians of the well.
Odogun Fakoya told Saturday Mirror the story: “Two friends decided to visit the well to find out what the future held for them. They both went with the usual pomp and pageantry. The first friend looked into the well and saw himself well dressed in beautiful regalia, just like a king. He was extremely happy and announced his discovery to his people. He began rejoicing immediately as he was convinced that his later life would be kingly.The second man was unfortunately not favoured by the well’s verdict. He saw himself in rags and was immediately thrown into sorrow. It was indeed a tale of different strokes for different folks.“They both left for their different homes. The first enquirer, as a result of his favourable prediction, quit all serious work in anticipation of his wealth. The other enquirer, who got a dismal verdict, however, felt too ashamed to stay still in the town. He left the town for an isolated area where he made his new home. He became a big time farmer there and gradually, many people joined him.After a while, the people made him king over them as the founder of the settlement. “He soon became so wealthy and respected. One day, he decided to go back to Ondo, his home town, where people thought he was probably dead or living in penury somewhere. When he got into town with all the fortune he had acquired, his friend who got a positive prediction was still where he left him, playing the traditional Ayo game and still awaiting his day of glory.
“When news of his friend’s success got to him, he was forced to leave the town in shame.That started the com-mon saying: “bori eni sunwon, owo eni e mu tunse i” in Ondo dialect, which sim-ply means: heaven helps those who help themselves. “After this incident, people’s belief in Ori Aye, of course, started to wane and many chose to believe more in hard work than in the predictions of the well.” Despite this loss of influence, however, Ori Aye retains its potency still and is not taken for granted by the Ondos.In fact, mere touching the slab which covers it attracts sanctions. The culprit would be made to provide sacrificial ma-terials to appease the power behind the well.
According to Odogun Fakoya, “Ori Aye is still as powerful as ever. If you want to prove its power, you can pick a time to come and check your future,” he asserts.
The concept of destiny runs through the cosmology of most, if not all, African societies. The Yorubas call it Ayanmo or Kadara, the Igbos call it Akara Aka while the Hausas call it Bayewa Allah. In the past, parents would consult seers just to get a wind of what the future held for their children. This finding was known as Akosejaye among the Yorubas.A peep into the future of a child, they believed, offered them an early opportunity of effecting change where there was a negative prediction. The enquiry was made within the first ten days of a child’s birth and strictly by its biological parents. This was mainly to keep the prediction secret until the child himself became of age and needed to know what his future held. For the Ondos, this exercise was conducted in a different manner.
According to Chief Adedeji Fakoya, the Odogun of Ondo land, the child in question is the actual enquirer, and he is expected to have come of age before taking a peep into his future – at no other place than the Ori Aye (the peak or crown of the earth). Ori Aye is a natural phenomenon that is as old as Ondo town itself. It is a sacred well that is capable of seeing into the future of anyone who desires the knowledge.Chief Fakoya says of the sacred well, “the well is not just an ordinary one as it links with the high seas.
“ Ori Aye’s depth is endless but the water is as clear as crystal.” And quite unlike what obtains in other cultures, Odogun Fakoya informs, “anyone who wished to determine his future did so flamboyantly. It was never done in secret. He or she was expected to go with a number of his friends, loved ones and some drummers who would celebrate with him once the prediction was favourable. And once he got to the well, he would simply peep into it and a vivid picture of how he would end up in life would in-stantly be played to him.
“If the prediction was contrary, the drummers with their entourage, automatically stopped celebrating, an indication that the outcome was negative. The victim, now downcast, would leave the scene amidst tears and agony. He or she was left with no other option than to await the fulfilment of the well’s verdict.” However, not all enquirers who got undesirable verdicts took Ori Aye’s predictions in good faith.
There were instances where some who were not strong enough to bear such evil verdicts instantly took their lives by simply jumping into the well. It therefore became necessary, at a point, to stop people from visiting the mysterious well. Apart from the frequency with which disenchanted enquirers jumped into the well, an incident took place that was the last straw for custodians of the well.
Odogun Fakoya told Saturday Mirror the story: “Two friends decided to visit the well to find out what the future held for them. They both went with the usual pomp and pageantry. The first friend looked into the well and saw himself well dressed in beautiful regalia, just like a king. He was extremely happy and announced his discovery to his people. He began rejoicing immediately as he was convinced that his later life would be kingly.The second man was unfortunately not favoured by the well’s verdict. He saw himself in rags and was immediately thrown into sorrow. It was indeed a tale of different strokes for different folks.“They both left for their different homes. The first enquirer, as a result of his favourable prediction, quit all serious work in anticipation of his wealth. The other enquirer, who got a dismal verdict, however, felt too ashamed to stay still in the town. He left the town for an isolated area where he made his new home. He became a big time farmer there and gradually, many people joined him.After a while, the people made him king over them as the founder of the settlement. “He soon became so wealthy and respected. One day, he decided to go back to Ondo, his home town, where people thought he was probably dead or living in penury somewhere. When he got into town with all the fortune he had acquired, his friend who got a positive prediction was still where he left him, playing the traditional Ayo game and still awaiting his day of glory.
“When news of his friend’s success got to him, he was forced to leave the town in shame.That started the com-mon saying: “bori eni sunwon, owo eni e mu tunse i” in Ondo dialect, which sim-ply means: heaven helps those who help themselves. “After this incident, people’s belief in Ori Aye, of course, started to wane and many chose to believe more in hard work than in the predictions of the well.” Despite this loss of influence, however, Ori Aye retains its potency still and is not taken for granted by the Ondos.In fact, mere touching the slab which covers it attracts sanctions. The culprit would be made to provide sacrificial ma-terials to appease the power behind the well.
According to Odogun Fakoya, “Ori Aye is still as powerful as ever. If you want to prove its power, you can pick a time to come and check your future,” he asserts.
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